Ministry of Communication Manual Traffic Counts

Roads and Highways Department Instruction Guide

5. VEHICLE CLASSIFICATIONS
Vehicles have to be recorded according to the following thirteen categories. To help
with identification a Vehicle Identification Sheet, showing pictures of typical vehicles in
each category, is attached on the following page. Each enumerator should be
provided with a copy of this when counting. The following list gives a brief description
of the vehicles to be included in each category.

Category Type Description

1. Heavy Truck Three or more axles. Includes multi-axle

tandem trubcks, container carriers and
other articulated vehicles.
2. Medium Truck All 2-axle rigid trucks over three tonnes
payload. Typical medium trucks are the
Hindustan Bedford, English Bedford
and Hino trucks of about 10 tonnes
gross vehicle weight. Agricultural
tractors and trailers are also included in
this category.
3. Light Truck Small trucks up to 3 tonne payload.
The most typical example is the Jeep
based conversion.
4. Large Bus More than 40 seats on 36 foot or longer
chassis. Includes double decker
buses.
5. Minibus Between 16 and 39 seats. Typical
minibuses are the TATA 909 and
Hindustan Mascot.
6. Microbus Up to 16 seats. Typical microbuses are
the 12/15 seat Toyota Hi-ace, and the
Mitsubishi L300.
7. Utility Pick-ups, jeeps and four wheels drive
vehicles, such as Pajeros and
LandRovers.
8. Car/Taxi All types of car used either for personal
or taxi services.
9. Baby-taxi Includes Babytaxi and Mishuks
10. Tempo Auto-Tempo and Auto-Vans.
11. Motor Cycle All two wheeled motorised vehicles.
12. Bicycle All pedal cycles.
13. Rickshaw Standard Three wheeled cycle rickshaws (not
rickshaw vans)
14. Rickshaw Van Rickshaw vans
15. Cart All animal and manually drawn/pushed
carts.

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ROADS AND HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION SHEET (PAGE 1)
TRUCKS AND BUSES

No. CATEGORY CHARACTERISTICS TYPICAL VEHICLES

NO
1 HEAVY 3 OR MORE AXLES
TRUCK

2 MEDIUM 2 AXLES
TRUCK OVER THREE
TONNES UNLOADED
WEIGHT

3 LIGHT 2 AXLES
TRUCK UNDER THREE
TONNES UNLOADED
WEIGHT

4 LARGE OVER 39 SEATS

BUS

5 MINI BUS 16-39 SEATS

ROADS AND HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION SHEET (PAGE 2)
LIGHT MOTORISED VEHICLES

No. CATEGORY CHARACTERISTICS TYPICAL VEHICLES

NO
6 MICROBUS LESS THAN
16 SEATS

7 UTILITY PICK UPS AND

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE
VEHICLES

8 CAR ALL CARS AND TAXIS

9 BABY TAXI BABY TAXIS AND

MISHUKS

10 TEMPO AUTO TEMPOS AND

AUTO VANS
ROADS AND HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION SHEET (PAGE 3)
NON MOTORISED VEHICLES

No. CATEGORY CHARACTERISTICS TYPICAL VEHICLES

NO
11 MOTOR ALL TWO WHEELED
CYCLE MOTORISED
VEHICLES

12 BICYCLE PUSH
BICYCLE

13 RICKSHAW ALL THREE

STANDARD WHEELED
NON MOTORISED
VEHICLES

14 RICKSHAW ALL THREE

VAN WHEELED
NON MOTORISED
VEHICLES

15 CART ALL ANIMAL

AND PERSON
DRAWN/PUSHED
CARTS